Knee replacement surgery can be just what you need to decrease knee discomfort and get back to doing a number of the physical activities that you love, but the surgery alone won’t get you back to full health. You’ll need to be smart about some of the decisions you make during your rehab in order to make the fullest recovery, and you’ll also need to be cognizant of some of the potential mistakes that can jeopardize your recovery. In today’s blog, we spotlight five mistakes you’ll want to avoid following your knee replacement surgery.
Avoid These Five Mistakes After Knee Replacement Surgery
Here’s a look at five things that can slow down your recovery or lead to a major setback during the rehabilitation process following knee replacement surgery.
- Failing To Prehab – As we’ve mentioned on the blog in the past, you don’t need to wait until surgery is complete to start rehabbing your knee area. Doing exercises before surgery will ensure your knee is stronger and better able to bounce back after the operation. Make sure that you do your rehab exercises after surgery, but don’t overlook the benefits of prehab therapy as well.
- Failing To Develop A Plan – Understanding your “why” and your “how” is imperative to a successful rehab after knee surgery. Ask yourself why you’re undergoing knee replacement surgery. We urge you to think beyond the obvious answer, which is likely pain and discomfort. What activities do you want to get back to doing assuming your knee health greatly improves, and how will you work to achieve these goals? Set goals and stick to the rehab plan you and your team develop, and you’ll be able to keep your recovery on track.
- Too Much, Too Soon – We understand that you’re probably eager to get back to work or certain physical activities after knee surgery, and while we don’t want you to lay around for weeks following your operation, doing too much, too soon can overload your knee while it’s in a weakened state. Follow your doctor’s restrictions, and if you believe you’re progressing ahead of schedule, ask before you go against their recommendations. Early physical activity is great after knee replacement, but you need to be mindful of not overdoing it.
- Pain Medication Schedule – It’s important that you and your care team get on the same page about managing pain with the help of medication following your knee procedure. You don’t want to wait until pain is severe to take your medication, but you also want to avoid overreliance on medication for any and all pain. Stay ahead of your pain so that you can continue to pursue active rehab techniques like exercise and physical therapy, but know that some discomfort will be unavoidable as you work to recover.
- Being Overly Protective – In contrast to the third point on the list, you can actually hinder your recovery if you are overly protective of your knee after surgery. Your new knee needs to become stronger and more stable, and you achieve this through movement and exercise. If you just lay in bed for weeks and assume time will do all the healing for you, your knee won’t be as strong or functional as you want it to be. Stay within your restrictions, but be sure you’re challenging your knee with activity, movement and exercise throughout your rehab.
For more tips on how to have a successful recovery after knee replacement surgery, or to talk to a specialist about your knee discomfort and possible treatment options, reach out to Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 558-4444.
